Sermon Audio

It was with the words of the antiphon to our Psalm this morning that the Augsburg Confession was presented to Emperor Charles the V on June 25, 1530: "I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed." (Psalm 119:46)

There was a time when to the world the meaning of the Gospel had been lost. To the church, God was preached as a vengeful and merciless God, always watching for a way to condemn man, and exacting justice (seen and heard almost always as punishment) for each and every sin committed. For centuries, the world had seen cultural and economic decline. The differences in the haves and the have-nots was staggering. Only a few men were educated and knew how to read, and very few of those ever read the Bible. What the church said of God was not true, and almost no one knew any better to say anything otherwise—those that did were executed as heretics.

To this world was sent a man named Martin Luther. He vowed to become a monk and dedicate his life to God, following a harrowing experience. He most likely saw it as a warning sign from God to shape up, or he would be gone. Though a monk, he still struggled with his own inadequacies before God. He would spend nights awake in his cell screaming in anguish of his sinful condition and crying for mercy; this kept his brothers awake. It was during such struggles that Johann von Staupitz, Luther's father-confessor, counseled Luther not to focus on himself, but on Christ. It was von Staupitz who would quote from another verse from Psalm 119—"I am thine, save me" (Psalm 119:94a)—and encourage the young monk to delve into the Scriptures.

And so was planted the seeds of the Reformation. Luther posted 95 theses against the practice of indulgences, as if God could be paid off with our silver and gold. He taught more and more about the grace and mercy of God toward man for Christ's sake as he himself learned it in his own studies. A following developed: a few people, a congregation, several congregations—people and churches overjoyed to hear the Good News of sins forgiven in Christ and salvation for Christ's sake. The church, so it seemed, was coming out of the Dark Ages and being brought back into the Light of Christ.

The pope, Holy Roman Emperor, and Roman Catholic rulers despised what was happening on the one hand. On the other hand, reformers were popping up all over the Holy Roman Empire, taking things further than the Lutheran reformers. Churches that followed Luther's teachings needed to put forth what it was they believed, taught, and confessed. So, on June 25, 1530, a Lutheran prince stood and read aloud, in German, the Augsburg Confession, unashamedly speaking God's testimonies before kings. Other German princes stood, indicating their support of this confession, disregarding the emperor's motion to be seated. When one man finished reading, another took from him the German text and handed it along with the Latin text to the emperor, and said, "Most gracious Emperor, this is a Confession that will even prevail against the gates of hell, with the grace and help of God."

Thus was the Augsburg Confession presented as a unique Confession of the truth of God's holy Word, distinct from Romanism on the one hand, and Reformed, Anabaptists, and radicals on the other. June 25, 1530, is a date every bit as important for Lutherans as is the more familiar date of October 31, 1517—the day on which Luther posted his Nintey-five Theses.¹

For the first time since the first centuries of Christianity, the Gospel was proclaimed by the church in all of its sweetness and put forth in such a way that this proclamation could be spread to ends of the world. The Lutherans' basic message was this:

• God created everything, including man
• man rebelled against God
• God, in his mercy, forgives man for the sake of His Son, Jesus Christ, and in His grace, gives faith to receive and believe this.
• He reveals this to us in Holy Scripture

They went into more detail with regard to how God cares for His creation and those to whom He has given faith. This was declared against the abuses of Rome and the errors of the other non-Lutheran reformers.

So it is fitting, on this day when we observe this day every bit as important to Lutherans as Reformation Day, that we hear Jesus speak of vine, branches, and fruit:

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:1-11)

Jesus is the vine. Not only is He the vine, He is the true vine. A vine is a plant that spreads itself all over the place and produces fruit. Vines grow branches, and it is on these branches that the fruit are produced.

Now, as I mentioned, Jesus is the true vine. That also means that there are false vines out there. There are those who would have you be grafted onto them, but in them is no Life. They all spring from the same root; and that root is not Jesus the Christ, but the devil, the father of all lies. He, then, is the root of all false vines, and the fruit that their branches produce lead to death.

However, Jesus is the True Vine. All that flows from Him is the truth. And His truth is Life. The fruit produced on His branches serve to glorify the Father in heaven; He is, after all, the Vinedresser—the One who planted the Vine on earth and takes care of the branches it.

The fact that Jesus is the True Vine and the Father is the Vinedresser, and all that it entails as just mentioned, speaks to two things: First is the need for a Savior, and second is the fact that the Savior was sent in the flesh. The Augsburg Confession speak of these two points when it says in Article II:

Our churches teach that since the fall of Adam (Romans 5:12), all who are naturally born are born with sin (Psalm 51:5), that is, without fear of God, without trust in God, and with the inclination to sin, called concupiscence. Concupiscence is a disease and original vice that is truly sin. It damns and brings eternal death on those who are not born anew through Baptism and the Holy Spirit (John 3:5).

and in Article III:

Our churches teach that the Word, that is, the Son of God (John 1:14), assumed the human nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. So, there are two natures—the divine and the human—inseparably joined in one person. There is one Christ, true God and true man, who was born of the Virgin Mary, truly suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried. He did this to reconcile the Father to us and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of mankind.

and in Article IV: "Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works." Naturally, we are born sinners who cannot effect our own justification before God by any means from within ourselves—nor can we buy it (as if through an indulgence). However, God, knowing all of this, sent His Son into the flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior—He accomplished this by being crucified with our sin, dying with it on the cross.

That brings us to the next point of today's Gospel. You, dear hearers in Christ, are branches on the vine. And here's the thing about branches: they are grown from the vine or are grafted onto the vine. That is to say, they cannot pick themselves up and place themselves on the vine. A branch grows passively in relation to the vine; it is the Vine or Vinedresser which puts the branch where it grows, not the branch itself.

As foolish as it sounds, there are those who are branches or claim to be branches that will claim that they placed themselves on the Vine. They'll appeal to the fact that their parents and grandparents were Christians. They'll point to the large sums of money they give to a church or other charity as the reason that they are a Christian. Or, among many others, their reason will be as simple as they chose to follow Jesus. In every case, the Christian (or one who believes he is a Christian) is claiming to be a branch that has placed itself on the Vine.

Once again, the Augsburg Confession speaks to this point. We heard part of Article IV once before: "Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works." The article continues,

People are freely justified for Christ's sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake. By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. God counts this faith for righteousness in His sight (Romans 3:21-26; 4:5).

To equate these theological terms with the terminology used in today's Gospel lesson, being justified is the same as being made part of the Vine, being placed onto the Vine as a branch. So it follows that as a branch cannot place itself on the Vine, so people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. Furthermore, as the Vinedresser grafts branches onto the Vine, so God also freely justifies people for Christ's sake, through faith. It is as St. Paul explains, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8) We are saved by grace through faith—God's grace saves, and this grace is received by God-given faith.

St. Paul continues in Ephesians 2, "For by grace you have been saved...not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10) Good works...as mentioned once already, there are those who are branches or claim to be branches that justify their claim by their good works. We have already stated how that is a false claim. However, we must guard ourselves so as not to go too far in the other direction, believing that good works are not necessary.

Good works are necessary. These are the fruit that branches bear. Now, let us be clear. Good works are not necessary for a branch to be grafted to the Vine. The Vinedresser does not look down upon a branch not yet on the Vine and command of it to produce fruit in order for Him to graft it to the Vine. This is what the Romish churches and Protestant churches teach: one must do good in order for God to give them grace. However the Scriptures and confessions teach us that the reverse is true—the Vinedresser commands good fruit of the branch once it is part of the Vine. That is the only way good fruit can be produced.

It is written in the Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod, adopted in 1932,

Before God only those works are good which are done for the glory of God and the good of man, according to the rule of the divine Law. Such works, however, no man performs unless he first believes that God has forgiven him his sins and has given him eternal life by grace, for Christ's sake, without any works of his own. [emphasis added]

That is to say, the only works that are good are the ones commanded by God and brought about by faith. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." It is also as is written in the Augsburg Confession, Article VI:

Our churches teach that this faith is bound to bring forth good fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). It is necessary to do good works commanded by God (Ephesians 2:10), because of God's will.

and also in Article XX:

Furthermore, we teach that it is necessary to do good works. This does not mean that we merit grace by doing good works, but because it is God's will (Ephesians 2:10). It is only by faith, and nothing else, that forgiveness of sins is apprehended. The Holy Spirit is received through faith, hearts are renewed and given new affections, and then they are able to bring forth good works. Ambrose says, "Faith is the mother of a good will and doing what is right." Without the Holy Spirit people are full of ungodly desires. They are too weak to do works that are good in God's sight (John 15:5).

That last quote finishes by referencing John 15:5. It is verses 4 and 5 where Jesus says, "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." For a branch to bring forth fruit, it must be connected to the Vine. The Vine supplies the nutrients needed by the branches so that they bring forth fruit. That is to say, Christians, as branches, are connected to Jesus, the Vine, and receive from Him grace, as Sacramental Juices, by which they receive forgiveness of sins, strengthening of faith, and eternal life. They are then enabled to bring forth fruit, to do good works. They are a joy to do and naturally flow from the Vine to the branches—in other words, there is no need to look anywhere for a good work to do; after all, God has prepared them in advance for you to do!

But, Jesus also continued, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned." (John 15:6) We can also put it as St. James did:

But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works...For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:18, 26)

A fruitless branch is no good on the Vine. If it refuses to produce fruit—refuses the nutrients flowing to it, it is cut off and cast away to be gathered and thrown into the fire. The key word there is refuses; God does not force His grace (and all that comes with it) on anyone—it can be rejected. Therefore, good works commanded by God and produced by faith can also be refused and rejected. Good works are not necessary to be saved, but they are part of the salvation that is freely given. Without works, faith is dead—a work-less faith is a rejection of God's grace. Faith-works are glory to God: "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit." (John 15:8a)

Dear hearers, He is glorified in your coming here and hearing His Word, just as He was glorified as the truth of His Word was proclaimed before emperor and Romish church leaders that Saturday afternoon in 1530. Your being here is a good work produced by the faith that was planted in you in your hearing and receiving of Holy Baptism—the Sacramental Juices flow to you and through you! It is by the Word that faith is created—that branches are made. It is by that same Word that faith is strengthened for doing of good works—that branches may produce fruit. At the root of all of this is Christ Jesus, what Luther was told to focus on, and that which is the focus of Scripture and our Confessions. He is the cause of our faith and effects the faith-works—the author and perfecter of our faith.

We are saved by grace through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." This is the simple message of our Confessions, which correctly expound for us the Holy Scriptures, from which is proclaimed this Truth: You are forgiven for all of your sins.